We left the bay and are staying at a very nice hotel near the Cancun airport awaiting departure in a couple of days. The hotel grounds are peaceful and quiet. It's a relief to be away from the Sargassum, however, there is very little breeze so the bugs are having a feast. Someone told me that mosquitoes and biting flies are attracted to certain people and not others. Apparently I'm one of the chosen, because I seem to be a magnet for the insects near the pool. Forced to take refuge indoors, I found a well-stocked book exchange. I love the way books that answer questions or provide direction at just the right time appear in the most unexpected places. For example, a wonderful little book by Anne Lamont, HELP THANKS WOW The Three Essential Prayers. Fans of Lamont's humorous style will be pleased to find in this book a summary of all that she's written over the years about prayer. AMAG often says the best prayer is to "be grateful, inside and out. Appreciation is an essential ingredient in a happy life."

We've arrived at our destination and are looking forward to relaxing in the peace and quiet of Soliman Bay north of Tulum, Mexico. This time of year the days are warm, but not too hot and the nights are slightly cooler with a breeze nearly all the time that keeps the bugs away. It's almost perfect. What is causing the slight imperfection is a seaweed called Sargassum that's washing up on the beach in unheard of quantities. The caretakers do their best to rake it up and bury it in the sand or cart it away, but it is threatening to take over the bay. It's not keeping us from wading out through the muck with our kayaks to snorkel in Soliman Bay, but it doesn't smell very nice. It's not only the seaweed decomposing in the hot sun, but all the dead sea creatures that have been brought to shore along with it. I'm reminded of the saying by Oscar Wilde: "Everything in moderation, including moderation." You may have heard of the Sargasso Sea? It's a phenomenon worth investigating. As an herbal remedy, Sargassum may be used as a tea to expel phlegm, however, it seems to be having the opposite effect on me. What started as an allergic reaction is turning rapidly into bronchial asthma. Wonder what the lesson is this time?

A client recently asked AMAG these questions: "Speaking of chopping wood and carrying water and being fully present to my physical life, why would one need to negotiate whether their digestive system could digest or not, since that is its function made by the creator? Why would one need to negotiate whether or not they were safe and had sovereignty in their physical body? Why would one [who is] in a physical dimension where spirits are unseen, need to be aware of non-physical threat and be responsible for tending to that which cannot even be seen on the earth? If anything is ungrounding that responsibility certainly is! Where in the polar opposite balance is the support of protective and loving spirits that would not allow one to be ransacked by uncaring spirits? If one is going to be subject without volitional choice to be afronted by the negative aspects of spirit, then why would one not also un-volitionally be confronted by the positive aspects of spirit unseen as the equal and opposite polar effect?

Here is an excerpt from AMAG's reply: "...you mention 'chopping wood and carrying water.' This is a reminder to be present and aware of your actions at any moment of your life. While it is true that you are already sovereign in your body and consciously digesting your food, you may not have chosen to be consciously aware of these facts. You may have chosen, in the past, to believe that these things are beyond your control and that you were susceptible to the will of others or other outside influences. Many physical processes take place without the need for you to monitor every part of the process, but this does not mean that the processes are beyond your control. In an illusion of physicality there are many degrees of visibility. What you refer to as 'protective and loving spirits' and 'uncaring spirits' are just the two complementary parts of a pair of opposites. In duality, you cannot have one part exist without the other. What you call 'physical' and 'non-physical' are just the two parts (a pair of opposites) that taken together comprise an illusion of physicality. You may choose to embrace the two parts of any pair of opposites and direct your attention to the part that you prefer, whatever it may be. Pay attention to your choices and preferences and notice what happens. If you don't enjoy the results, then make new choices and set new preferences."

AMAG often reminds us to "be present to receive." They mean that in order to notice that your prayers are being answered, you must focus your attention in the present moment of your life. Then you will see that you can account for the many good things in your life that you already have. If we never stop to account for the good in our lives, we'll just keep on asking for more of what we think we don't have. If we keep asking for sustenance, for assistance, for anything ... and then disappear by diverting our attention from the present moments of our lives, it can seem that we're not receiving what we've asked for.

After consulting with AMAG recently, a client wrote: "Life feels to me like there is a kind of paper route where love, opportunities and miracles are delivered to some people but not others. I want to know that I can subscribe to that delivery. What I heard AMAG say was that I was not home to receive the deliveries. I like that notion as it gives hope for a promising future. If I could wholeheartedly believe that these deliveries are there for me and have always been there for me, I suspect there is very little that would limit me in my life."

Staying in the present moment is a very popular idea. Being inthe now is something we hear about a lot. However, since the now becomes the past in an instant, it's hard to do that. AMAG says that it's possible to keep attention focused on what is happening now by noticing whether we are present in our lives. By asking from time to time where our attention is focused, we can bring it back to the here and now if it has strayed to some distant date or anticipated event in the future, or has wandered into a time or date related to an historic event in our past. We can keep ourselves present and able to account for all the good that is happening in our lives NOW by noticing where we are focusing attention. By staying present and accountable for all the good we already have, we're more than ready to receive each and every delivery of love, opportunity, and miracles!

In a comment to a recent blog post, a friend remarked on how fast it seemed that evolution is moving right now. I think I know what she means. Some days seem to pass in a fast blur and people often tell me about how changes are happening in their lives at high speed now. Is evolution moving faster now? Are we speeding up? We can't feel the Earth's rotation because it's spinning steadily at a constant rate in orbit around the sun. As passengers, we don't get dizzy because we're moving at the same rate as the planet. Maybe we don't feel the changes that are happening at a rapid rate in our lives because we're in synch with the change and there's no discrepancy between us and the things that are changing. If we're not in synch or disagree with the changes, then it can feel like we're going way too fast. It can feel as if we're trapped inside a vehicle over which we have little or no control and everything's moving at an uncomfortable speed. One of the most helpful lessons I've learned so far is the benefit of moving as slowly as possible, especially when I'm feeling stressed about something. If I can remember to slow myself to the pace of a lethargic snail, whole new vistas open before me that offer information unavailable at greater speed. I received this lesson many years ago from Continuum Movement founder Emilie Conrad. Thanks, Emilie!